Dare to Dream

Remember when we were a kids…? We couldn’t help but dare to dream….

What happened? Why did we stop dreaming?

Was it the pressures of life? Was it the reality of living paycheck to paycheck? Do we find ourselves pressed for time? Is it a choice that we have made? Are dreams only meant for children? Or has the phrase, “I can’t,” over-taken our lives? “I can’t dream, because…”

There was one point where I thought I had forgotten how to dream, but that is a whole story that I’ll share later.

Regardless of the excuses you have today, I want to encourage you to start dreaming again. You can start slow, that’s okay.

Think back to when you were a kid… Remember when you would just plop down with a friend, on her bed, in a tent, on a trampoline….

What would you talk about? What would you dream about?

Remember how our play revolved around our dreams of what we wanted to be when we grew up?

One of my favorite games was “olden days” – we’d dress up and pretend we lived in the time of Laura Ingalls. We’d run around on horses, take care of our children, and bake bread… at least in our imaginations.

Start jotting down your fondest memories – chances are they revolve around your deepest dreams and hopes for your future.

If you’re married, do this with how you dreamed about your future marriage. Then again, with the plans for the future you and your spouse used to talk about.

Are these dreams allowed to thrive? Or have they been nearly suffocated with the stressors that have taken hold of your life?

Allow yourself to dream again. To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” (afflink)

I believe our dreams are given to us by God. We each have a unique mission in life, and He created us the way we are and with the desires that are in our heart for a greater purpose. It’s just up to us to discover what that is, and how we can bring Him glory on earth.

So I challenge you!

Get a piece of paper, and just start to jot down your dreams. If drawing helps you visualize, then do it! Some people also like to cut pictures out of magazines and paste them to a board… Whatever helps you see and articulate your dreams, do it.

Once you have a better visual of where you want to be, you’ll be able to know how you’re supposed to go about it.

<3 Nicole

I’d love to hear some of your dreams if you’d like to share!